Winning ways return

Great Yarmouth Town 3, Ipswich Wanderers 1

THE Bloaters got back to winning ways in timely fashion last Saturday.

All the goals were scored in the first half, and despite missing a hatful of chances in the second Yarmouth returned to the sort of form that had put them in the Ridgeons One top six.

Managers Tong and Cruickshank sprang two surprises when they put club captain Adam Sullivan on the bench and added new signing David Hinton from Cromer to the starting line-up. With Alan Darby missing injured, Toby Gorbould came in and Chris Squire moved to right back in place of Nino, who moved into midfield after his good showing in Tuesday's defeat by Acle.

“It was just good to win,” said Paul Tong. “We needed it to get some confidence back and now we must just keep going from game to game and we'll analyse things as we go. It was nice to see smiles on their faces.”

From Yarmouth's point of view the game got off to a bad start. They were forced through injury into substituting Gareth Palmer after only 10 minutes then conceded an opening goal by Callum Moran who himself had just replaced the injured Jerrell Layne.

Camillo Douglas broke away and shot only for Michael Hilton to get a hand on the ball but Moran seized on the rebound to fire into the roof of the Yarmouth net.

“You're going to get ups and downs,” said Tong. “But it's how you deal with that that counts. And they responded well.”

It was Palmer's replacement, Sullivan, that prompted the response, and it was he that scored the equalising goal after 28 minutes. Stewart Roach's header from a Scott Woodcock corner had just demanded a superb save from Gary Hammond but Sullivan, on the edge of the area, struck the partial clearance firmly back past the Ipswich keeper.

A second goal followed five minutes later as an almighty scramble in the Ipswich box after a corner won by Squire ended with a shot from Gorbould apparently going in off Adey Ager's leg.

Hinton and Woodcock began to combine well on the left and between them earned a throw which Roach launched into the visitors' box and from which Woodcock's header was saved on the line. But the pacey striker's luck was in minutes later as half-time approached and after receiving a short pass from Roach, Woodcock smashed an unstoppable shot past Hammond from 18 yards.

Hilton had produced a couple of saves just before the third goal but other than Moran's strike was not troubled.

The intensity of Yarmouth's game increased in the second half. Olly Savage, having his best game for weeks, was always eager to join in the attack and saw a long shot deflected for a corner, and then provided a penetrating pass for a Woodcock shot.

Defensively, Yarmouth were sound. Savage was dominant in his left back position. Squire, at right-back, had possibly his best game since joining the Bloaters in September.

There were good performances all over the pitch for Yarmouth, but none more so then Sullivan's in midfield. Hinton showed he will be a useful acquisition: on one occasion he skipped past three tackles on the left wing before crossing, and on another, his turn and shot from 30 yards excited the crowd.

Roach fluffed his lines when it looked easier to score. Woodcock took the ball from a Yarmouth clearance down the left and though he might have shot he unselfishly squared the ball to Roach at the back post but the ball must have taken a bobble as, with only Hammond to beat, Roach's effort went over the bar!

Substitute José Vide went on, to the usual buzz of anticipation, and saw a shot go agonisingly wide as Hammond narrowed the angle. Ipswich attacks were rare, and Yarmouth survived one scare when the visitors' vigorous claims for hand-ball were turned down.

“I thought there was a first-class response from Sully who found himself starting on the bench today,” commented Tong. “He was inspirational after coming on for the unfortunate Gareth. Olly Savage was outstanding after some average performances

lately, and Michael Hilton did well in goal again.

“Toby Gorbould came in and did not look out of place, and the new boy Hinton gave us options. I've watched him play at Cromer and he reminds me of Robert Eglington who we had a few years ago. Providing his fitness holds up, 'Hints' will be a good asset to us.

“Dominic Smith, one of our great set of youth players, has been a revelation since his return from injury: he was a driving force today and is playing beyond his years.

“Kevin and I changed things a little bit today to freshen the team up and they responded well.”

Yarmouth Town: Michael Hilton, Chris Squire, Olly Savage, Gareth Palmer (Adam Sullivan 11), Adey Ager (c), Toby Gorbould, Dominic Smith, Nino (José Vide 70), Stewart Roach, Scott Woodcock (Sam Watts 76), David Hinton. Unused substitutes: Jake Reed, Elliot Pride. Referee: Paul Quick (Ipswich). Attendance: 68.